Zanesville Athletic Football Club has been approved as a member of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) for the 2013 season.
Zanesville will be joining the Midwest Great Lakes Conference and will be competing against the likes of AFC Cleveland, Detroit City FC, FC Buffalo, the Erie Admirals, and fellow expansion club FC Sparta Michigan.
The Cape Coral Hurricanes, Tampa Marauders FC, Miami United SC, Chesterfield United FC, Rock City Soccer Club, the New Orleans Jesters, Virginia FC, and RVA Football Club also join Zanesville and Michigan as new teams for 2013.
“My goal for Zanesville Athletic is to build a strong fan base, build some strong regional rivalries, and win the Great Lakes Conference,” Chairman Scott A. White commented.
“My goal for Zanesville Athletic is to build a strong fan base, build some strong regional rivalries, and win the Great Lakes Conference,” White added.
White hopes the team will be instrumental in growing soccer in Southeast Ohio.
Further announcements involving a stadium and head coach are expected before the end of the year.
The NPSL is entering its 9th season in 2013 and will have 60+ teams across the country. The league is considered to be part of the 4th Division of the American soccer pyramid behind Major League Soccer (MLS), the North American Soccer League (NASL), and the United Soccer League Professional Division (USL PRO).
The NPSL is present in many major markets across the country including San Diego, Boston, New York City, Atlanta, San Jose, Phoenix, Myrtle Beach, Tulsa, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
The league is unique because it allows high school and college players to compete alongside former professionals. The league is considered to be a developmental league as it allows players to showcase their talents on a national level with the hopes of playing at an even higher level as a professional.
